Resident Artist Program Winter 2018 Newsletter

Silver City, Nevada- The winter visiting artist at the Resident Artist Program in Silver City is emerging artist Allison Rasmussen, an honors student at Western Nevada College. Our Program hosts at least one young emerging artist each year. Meet Allison and see what she’s created during her Residency this winter at a reception at McCormick House on Saturday, March 3rd from 2:30pm-5:30pm. The reception includes appetizers and music by Mylo McCormick.

Our Spring 2018 Resident will be Megan Berner of Reno, who has also experienced an art residency in the Arctic Circle. Megan said, "One thing I was struck by while in the Arctic was how similar the geology is to Nevada...In some ways, they are both extreme environments...[Both Nevada and the Arctic are] dramatic, awesome, stark, vast, I would even use sublime in the true sense of the word for both, stunningly beautiful and maybe a bit harsh." See some of her remarkable work at her website: https://www.meganberner.com/

In other news:

New Artwork and Poetry Publication: This winter emerging artist Allison Rasmussen is creating a permanent artwork for the Resident Artist Program using Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet David Lee's poem "Silver City Dawn Psalm" as its focus. Lee’s poem about a sunrise in Silver City, which has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, will be published in a new collection of poetry next year, along with other poems he wrote during Residencies in Silver City in 2016 and 2017. In more good news, Lee will visit Silver City again this February and will see Rasmussen’s artwork based on his poem.

International Collaboration: Two of our previous Resident Artists, Danish writer Peter Krogh Andersen and emerging Nevada artist Marielle Toll, are collaborating. When Peter met Marielle in 2017, he asked her if she'd be interested in illustrating his short story, "The Beast". Now the two are collaborating to publish the illustrated allegory. Peter writes, "It was actually written with Europe in mind but the presidential campaign suddenly made it fit the US. The kinds of animals have been changed after my stay in the dome [McCormick House] - and now with Marielle’s drawings the cross-continent circle is complete."

Sharing Artwork by New Zealand Artist Sophie Scott: We were lucky to have Sophie as a Resident in both 2015 and in 2017. She generously gifted a number of her paintings and stencils, based on historic photos of Virginia City, Silver City, Sutro and Lake Tahoe, to the Resident Artist Program. We are seeking venues in Carson City and elsewhere to show them. They were previously in shows at St. Mary's Art Center (Oct-Dec 2017) and Silver City (2015 pop-up show).

Silver City’s new podium and postcards: During their 3 month Residency in 2017, Sue Mark and Bruce Douglas of Oakland worked with the community to create an absolutely beautiful artwork that doubles as a unique town podium, plus a dozen postcards celebrating the town’s strengths and recent history. They write, “Based on messages collected in the post office, as well as histories gleaned from town gatherings, hikes and visits with local archeologists, inventors and thinkers, we created civic tools for advocacy and preservation...Built with a town craftsman, the podium is dedicated to righteous stories, authentic free speech and preserving this community's spirit of generosity. A potluck in the community center inaugurated the podium with open-mic storytelling and music.”

Scott MacLeod: We’re seeking venues in the region to display the beautiful found object ship artwork created collaboratively by Oakland artist Scott MacLeod and Silver City residents in 2016. The ship was on view at St. Mary’s Art Center during the summer of 2016. Read about that ship and Scott’s other work during his Residency here: https://silvercityreads.blogspot.com/2016/08/following-is-scott-macleods-beautifully_77.html

Brian Schorn's Comstock Wabi Sabi exhibition, featuring 22 assemblages created with local found objects during his Residency in Silver City, was on view from December 6, 2017, until Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at TMCC. This was the 4th solo show for the collection, which is being championed by Sierra Arts Foundation through their Galleries at Work Program. View each fascinating piece in the Comstock Wabi Sabi series here:
https://brianschorn.com/comstock-wabi-sabi/

Frances Melhop's Comstock Portrait Project, which includes many photos of locals taken during her Residency here in 2016, was on view at the Haldan Gallery at Lake Tahoe Community College Sept-Dec 2017, and at UNR in Nov. 2017. Details: http://www.rgj.com/story/news/local/leader-courier/2017/09/21/show-features-portraits-lyon-and-storey-residents/691824001/

PHOTO OF WORK IN PROGRESS BY FRANCES MELHOP

Some of UK artist Claire Scully's gorgeous work can be viewed on her website. Claire was one of our 2016 Resident Artists. http://www.clairescully.com/

PHOTO OF STEWART EASTON AND CLAIRE SCULLY IN DAYTON, NV BY FRANCES MELHOP

Are you following London-based artist Stewart Easton? He was one of our 2016 Resident Artists. Since then, his brilliant work has been shown in LA, New York, Portland and London (including at the Tate Modern; the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University; and the V&A in London!) Using folk song and story as a starting point, Stewart weaves story-based narratives within his tapestry based works. http://www.stewarteaston.net/new-blog/

For more information, see the Program’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/silvercitynevadaresidentartistprogram/ or contact director Quest Lakes at quest@theodata.com.